Technical Field and Prior Art of Invention
The present invention relates to the preparation of multi-purpose magnetized and sintered ceramics, more specifically, to ceramics having functions of bio-activity, including keeping food fresh, and purifying waste water.
Currently, a physically or chemically treated natural ore is used for promotion of health and bio-activation as well as industrialization extended to such uses as medical subjects, water purification and architectural materials.
There are many examples of the effects of wavelengths slightly longer than infrared, referred to herein as far-IR, from installing molded and sintered ceramics onto floors of a car or living room, in which far-IR radiated from the ceramics can promote human metabolism to prevent diseases; to putting the ceramics into aquariums or a fish farm, where far-IR can accelerate the growth of fishes and prevent fish diseases; to putting the ceramics into a refrigerator, where far-IR can keep foods such as vegetables and fruits fresh for a long period. In addition, applying these ceramics to kitchenware, original food taste and nutrition may be kept longer.
Main materials for the above-mentioned ceramics are mostly Maek-Ban Stone (far-IR emitting stone; similar with a shape of barley) and soft sericite with other various constituents. As an example, Japanese Pat. No. Hei 1-299691, in which a method for preparing ceramic materials is that of adding silica and alumina into powder of Maek-Ban Stone(80-90% by weight), consisting of silicon anhydride, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, magnesium oxide, potassium oxide, sodium oxide and manganese anhydride, and pulverizing it and adding water glass to it and molding and sintering it at the temperature of 1,400-1,600.degree. C. to yield the final ceramic product; this final product is usually used as a filter for water purification. However, even though this ceramic product is easy to mold to any kinds of shapes, the activity of activation constituents is reduced.
Also, a couple of patents for far-IR ceramics are introduced in Korean Pat. No. 96-22326, which mention preparation of ceramics, comprising the steps of: mixing powders of loess, clay, and Maek-Ban Stone which radiates far IR spontaneously, and mixing with an artemisia, an oriental medicine herb, to obtain far-IR radiating powders; and in Korean Pat. No. 97-59144, mixing soft sericite, alumina, and Maek-Ban Stone and pulverizing and sintering it, and pulverizing again at a proper size, adding sulfur and salt, and secondary sintering at 1500-1600.degree. C. for 48-72 hours, again pulverizing it in 500 mesh to obtain the final ceramic product. In addition, Japanese Pat. No. Sho 53-44928 and Korean Pat. No. 98-2434 and No. 92-14735 all have some efficiency problems due to use of pulverized natural Maek-Ban Stone and a soft sericite without a treatment or with materials reducing an activity of activation constituents.